A photographic material has a surface backing layer (scratch-protective backing layer, the lowermost layer) on a back face to improve slipperiness of the back face and to protect the face from scratch. The surface backing layer contains a slip agent. Examples of the conventional slip agents include polyorganosiloxane, higher fatty amides, higher fatty esters, higher fatty metal salts and polyester compounds made from lower dicarboxylic acids (having 2 to 10 carbon atoms) with aliphatic diols (including cyclic aliphatic diols). U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,146 discloses the higher fatty amides. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,121,060 and 5,063,147, Japanese Patent Publication No. 58(1983)-33541, and Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 3(1991)-153239 and 4(1992)-73743 disclose the higher fatty esters. U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,516 discloses the higher fatty metal salts. Japanese Pat. Provisional Publication No. 51(1976)-37217 discloses the polyester compounds.
The slip agents have a function of improving slipperiness of the back surface and an effect of protecting the surface from scratch. However, the conventional slip agents cause some problems in the photographic material.
For example, silicone compounds (such as polyorganosiloxane) may affect coating of an emulsion layer. The silicone compounds in a surface backing layer might be shifted to the other surface of the support, on which an emulsion layer is to be coated. The silicone compounds are repellent to the emulsion. Therefore, the sifted compounds disturb uniform coating of the emulsion. Further, compounds weaken adhesion between the support and the emulsion layer.
Higher fatty acids and derivatives thereof are free from the above-mentioned problems. However, the fatty acids and derivatives have another problem of bleeding. In more detail, the fatty acids and derivatives tend to be gradually deposited on the backing surface as white powder. Further, the fatty acids and derivatives tend to be dissolved or dispersed in processing solutions such as a developing solution to cause contamination in the solutions.
The above-mentioned problems may be solved by modifying the derivative moieties of the higher fatty acid derivatives. For example, polyhydric alcohol esters of higher fatty acids, higher alcohol esters of higher fatty acids, diester of higher fatty dicarboxylic acids or diols and oligoesters of higher fatty acids are effective for solving the problems.